Numerous water conservation methods and apparatuses have been devised for conserving household water. Shower heads having a limited flow rate are required by law in some jurisdictions, as are other mandatory temporary or permanent water conservation methods and devices, such as restrictions on outside watering and low-flow toilets. Some methods and devices for household water conservation focus on collecting so-called “grey water” from, for example, bathroom sinks, showers, tubs, and washing machines. The grey water may contain traces of dirt, food, grease, hair, and household cleaning products and therefore is not potable, but it may be used, for example, in toilet tanks or to water plants.
Some water conservation methods and apparatuses collect cold or lukewarm potable water that would otherwise be wasted while a person wishing to take a shower waits for the water flowing out of the showerhead to reach an acceptable temperature for showering. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0051107 by Crawford discloses using a bucket to collect water from a showerhead while the person taking the shower waits for the water to reach the desired temperature. A lid with a spout attaches to the bucket to enable the watering of household or landscape plants using the collected water. A disadvantage of this approach is that if the bucket is placed on the floor of the shower, most of the water from the showerhead misses the bucket because the showerhead disperses the water over an area that extends beyond the open portion of the bucket. Although some people may have sufficient height and strength to hold the bucket near the showerhead while waiting for the water temperature to reach a desired level, thereby capturing more water than if the bucket were on the floor, it may be difficult or impossible for some people (e.g., children or elderly people) to hold the bucket close to the shower head as water fills the bucket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,456 to Woolman discloses a diverter apparatus and method for saving potable water from being wasted while a shower user waits for usable hot water to discharge from a shower fixture or from a faucet fixture. The apparatus comprises a two-way diverter valve having an inlet port and two outlet ports. The inlet port is attached to the shower fixture to divert the fresh water to one of the outlet ports, which is connected to one end of a hose. The hose connects the diverter valve and a storage container so that the initial cold water passes through the hose to the container until hot water is discharged. The other outlet port of the diverter valve allows water to flow through the showerhead. One disadvantage of this approach is that the user must install the diverter valve, which may be inconvenient because it requires the user to remove the showerhead. Another disadvantage is that because the diverter valve directs the water through a hose and into a closed container, the user may not be able to determine when the water temperature has reached the desirable level. Thus, water that would be warm enough for a shower may be diverted into the container instead of used for the user's shower. Finally, this approach does not save water while the user showers, unless the user diverts water to the storage container during the shower.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,714 to Horenstein et al. discloses another device to catch potable water from a showerhead before the water reaches a desired temperature. A tube of waterproof material has a cuff that attaches the tube to a shower arm. The showerhead directs water through the tube to a container at the other end of the tube while the shower water warms. When the water has reached the desired temperature, the user removes the cuff from the shower arm. The container has a cover to protect the collected water from soap, shampoo, and bodily contaminants while the user showers. Although this approach saves the potable water that would otherwise be wasted while the user waits for the shower water to warm to a desired temperature, and it allows the user to detect when the water has reached the desired temperature, it does not save any water while the user showers. Moreover, the user must remember to attach the cuff to the shower arm before turning on the water, and the user must remove the cuff from the shower arm when the water is at the desired temperature, which may be inconvenient. Furthermore, the tube may be large, unwieldy, or unsightly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,544 to Placencia discloses another apparatus for diverting, collecting, recapturing, and recycling potable water from a showerhead. A collection device includes a supported frame that is proximate to the showerhead and adjacent to a wall to which the showerhead is attached. The device also includes a movable water flow diverter assembly, capable of being moved from an in-use position to an at-rest position, and a collection container that is supported by the frame. When the diverter assembly is in the in-use position, water is diverted to the collection container. When the user needs access to the flow of water, the user moves the diverter assembly into the at-rest position, and the flow of water is no longer diverted. One disadvantage of this approach is that the collection device is elevated and therefore requires sufficient structure to support the weight of the collected water. Such structure may be expensive. Moreover, it may be difficult for some people to remove the collection container from the collection device because of the weight of the collected water and the height of the collection container. Another disadvantage is that because the diverter assembly directs the water into a closed container, the user may not be able to determine when the water temperature has reached the desirable level. Thus, water that would be warm enough for a shower may be diverted into the container instead of used for the user's shower. Yet another disadvantage of this approach is that the person taking a shower must remember to move the water flow diverter assembly from the at-rest position to the in-use position to collect water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,586 to Small discloses a device used to reclaim shower waste water (i.e., grey water) for flushing toilets and watering gardens. A shower user stands on an apparatus placed on the shower floor. The top surface of the apparatus forms a sloped recess for collecting water, and an open inlet port at the recessed end allows the water to drain into the reservoir. A dispenser is used in conjunction with an outlet to retain and release the collected water. When the full reservoir is placed in an upright position on top of a toilet, the dispenser is manually actuated, thus releasing water through the outlet with sufficient flow rate to flush the toilet. A shoulder strap and sprinkler accessory may be attached for use as a portable watering container. Although this approach can capture significant amounts of grey water while a user showers, the apparatus may be expensive to manufacture because it needs to support the weight of a user, which may be two-hundred pounds or more, and it needs to be non-slip to prevent users from slipping. Moreover, when full, the apparatus may be heavy and unwieldy to remove from the shower. Finally, use of the apparatus may be dangerous because a user could inadvertently step or fall off of the apparatus while showering.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,218 to Koepenick discloses a water conservation system for separately collecting potable and non-potable water in a shower stall or a bathtub having a showerhead. The system includes a pair of receptacles placed on the floor of the shower stall. Each of the receptacles includes a cover, which has a hingedly connected panel to facilitate draining into a selected receptacle while a user is in the shower or bathtub. Collection of potable water is facilitated by directing the shower head at a first one of the receptacles when the water is warming up, and pivoting the shower head in the opposing direction when rinsing to direct grey (e.g., soapy) water into a second one of the receptacles. The appropriate receptacle cover panel is opened depending upon the positioning of the showerhead. Drains are formed in the tops of both receptacles, the tops having a drainage surface with a concave profile to direct water to a centrally positioned drain opening. One disadvantage of this approach is that because the showerhead disperses water, much of the water from the showerhead may miss the tops of the receptacles. Thus, the receptacles may not be able collect a substantial amount of water. Furthermore, the person taking a shower must remember to change the direction of the showerhead during his or her shower so as not to mix potable and non-potable water.
Many other proposed water conservation methods require modifications to premises plumbing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,426 to DeCoster et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,323 to Bilson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,434 to Coe, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,138 to Haese teach devices and methods for grey water capture and recycling. These systems all require direct connection to existing household plumbing systems, which requires permanent modification. Furthermore, they require extensive conduits and large storage reservoirs, which tend to be bulky and require further permanent modification of existing structures.
U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2013/0025686 by Norton discloses a household grey water capture and recycling system that captures water from showers and bathtubs before reaching the drain and therefore does not require alterations to existing plumbing. A shower pan covers the drain to allow water to pool. A water pickup and capturing means is positioned within the shower pan over the drain and transfers the water through sealed conduits to a temporary storage means, such as a tank or reservoir located outside the residence or a smaller indoor temporary storage vessel. A pump drives the flow of water through the system and has sufficient power to transfer water through elevation changes. Once the grey water is within the storage vessel, gravity or an alternate pump may be used to send the grey water to the desired irrigation distribution. One disadvantage of this system is the need for what is essentially a supplementary plumbing system for each bathroom in which the system is installed. It may be difficult or expensive to install the required conduit and pump, and, furthermore, these components may be expensive and unsightly.
Thus, there remains an ongoing need for a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-install way to collect water from a shower.